September 15, 2008

September 15, 2008

From Navajo National Monument we drove northwest towards Page, AZ. Just outside Page, we stopped at the Antelope Canyon Tribal Park. We are still on the Navajo Nation Reservation. Antelope Canyon only got on my must see list last winter when I saw photos of it at a Tucson craft fair. I had seen photos and read about slot canyons but always thought they were hard to find. Unfortunately it seems Antelope Canyon is no secret. There are plenty of tourists waiting to see this small site. Like Monument Valley, this tribal park smells of disorganization. After paying a fee to earn the right to pay for a mandatory, guided tour, I sign Aimee up for a standard tour and myself for a longer photographic tour. Twelve of us are driven in an open four-wheel drive truck down a wide sandy gully to a dead-end wall with a narrow crack in it. A dozen trucks are already parked outside it. This is going to be a zoo; there is no way I am going to get any good photos.

Once inside my attitude flips. The canyon is pretty cool. The walls are narrow and eroded to a weirdly smooth texture. It is also dark with only narrow shafts of light illuminating the floor, at noon! Despite the crowds in this very small area, it seems to be organized chaos and I end up getting some great photos. It takes a while though. The initial chaos made finding the right camera settings for these long exposure shots difficult.

From Antelope Canyon we drive into Page, AZ and spend the night at a private RV park.